It is crucial to participate in competitions or contests. Winning may often imply grabbing the prize. We often are so obsessed with competing with others and winning that we ignore or undermine the more critical things we can acquire that can make us the perfect winner. When you participate in contests and competitions, you experience a boost in confidence, and are filled with enthusiasm to be in the limelight. Often the classroom ambiance may not be conducive to bringing out the best in you.
According to STI, competitions or contests are an opportunity or platform to showcase your hidden talents. Likewise, a photography contest could be a powerful platform to bring out your photographic skills and creative bent mind. However, to win a challenge and leave a mark of your own, you may understand some of the crucial things to consider before submitting a photograph to a photography contest.
Use Strong Lighting
Lighting plays a pivotal role in making or breaking your photo. A photograph is essentially about the right lighting. Every photographer has unique preferences and follows a unique style when it comes to lighting. A winning photo should have strong lighting. It may use natural light, or the subject may be backlit depending on the story you want to tell. Lighting should be implemented seamlessly in cooperation with essentially, the story, and subject of your photo. Lighting should differ from one setting to another and from one subject to another.
Expert photographers believe that a single catch light may be better for effectively communicating depth and emotion. However, multiple catch lights end up distracting the viewer. Lighting plays a significant role in creating a winning photograph in a photo contest.
Clear Composition Is the Key
Is your photo’s composition striking or pleasing in any way? Have you used form, angles, and lines? A good photo should effectively convey emotion and convince the audience to take note of that emotion within a split second of viewing the picture. A composition is a vital tool for story-telling. You may consider including a background, but it should add to the story you wish to convey.
Subject Is Crucial
Your photo’s subject should necessarily resonate with emotion. Your audience should be able to see the feeling or emotion you are trying to convey through the photo. Does the subject of your photo have action, movement, or vibrancy in it?
Tone or Color is Important
You may understand that the tone or color used should help convey the story and push the underlying theme forward. Are you planning to use the complete range of colors, or are you thinking of withholding it for making a point? If you use the colors effectively while taking and processing the photo, you will have a winning photograph.
Conclusion
In any photo competition or contest, judges will come across a broad spectrum of photos. They will look for something extraordinary. A winning image should have some connection or emotion resonating with the viewer or the judge. Identify something brilliant in your photo. You need to add a unique touch and go beyond standard expectations to outshine others in a photo competition.